Smart Bets: Low Cut Connie

One quick leg up the ladder toward rock-star notoriety is a nod from Jack White. Low Cut Connie (Adam Weiner and Dan Finnemore, from Philadelphia and Birmingham, U.K., respectively) was invited to open for The Shins at the grand reopening of White's Third Man Records. But the Connies (as they're called) have the the kind of grit and acumen to get the job done, leg up or not. Their new album, Call Me Sylvia, is packed with the sort of barroom bombast and jittery energy that's earning them raves from the likes of Rolling Stone and NPR — the sort of raves that involve many mentions of balls. Low Cut Connie plays The Emerald Lounge on Friday, Nov. 16. Old Southern Moonshine Revival and Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts also perform. 9 p.m. $7. http://www.emeraldlounge.com. Read a complete interview with the band at http://www.mountainx.com.